How to spot an energy efficient home

An energy efficient home can have a long-lasting impact, both on the environment and your pocket. If you’re looking to buy a property, you’ll want to make sure it’s as eco-friendly as possible – or understand what you can do to improve its performance. To give you a helping hand, White & Brooks has put together this list, so you know what to look for when viewing potential new homes.

Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) Ratings

An EPC Rating is a review of a property’s energy efficiency and every seller needs to have a valid certificate before they can sell their home. From the buyer’s perspective, the rating can influence a final decision if there’s more than one property in the running. For example, most people would choose a high-scoring A-rated EPC over a low-scoring G-rated one. However, if you’ve fallen in love with a place that comes with a low score, the EPC explains what you can do to improve the rating and you can also use this as a negotiating tool.

Boilers

While upgrading a boiler is something we’d all rather avoid, replacing an old one that has less than an A-energy rating will end up being cheaper in the long-term. It will also be beneficial to the environment as you’ll be reducing your home’s carbon dioxide emissions. Nearly all modern boilers in the UK come with an A-energy rating but it’s always a good idea to check this with the seller and find out how old their appliance is, so you can factor in any potential repair and replacement costs when making an offer.

Solar panels

Solar panels create renewable electricity for use by your household by absorbing the sun's energy. There are major benefits to fitting solar panels: they produce electricity all year round, even when it’s cloudy; you can sell any surplus electricity; they can increase property value and will help to reduce your carbon footprint. If you’re considering installing panels on a house you have your eye on, they don’t usually require planning permission but there are always exceptions. It’s best to check with your local planning office before you base a purchasing decision on the ability to install panels. You will also need to register your energy device.

Insulation

As a buyer, it’s important to find out what type of insulation has been used as it’s one of the best things you can do to create an energy efficient – and cost-efficient – home. Modern insulation will help to keep your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer, and it can also potentially raise the value of the property. Heat can be lost through walls, floors and ceilings but there are various insulation options available, depending on what type of property you’re looking to buy.

Windows

When viewing properties, find out what you can about the windows. Double or triple glazing will immediately help to eliminate the loss of heat and prevent draughts from creating a chill. If it’s single glazed and you haven’t budgeted for replacing any windows, there are still lots of cheap and easy ways that you can draft-proof them to make your home warmer and more environmentally friendly.

Appliance ratings

One of the easiest ways to make a property more energy efficient is to install appliances with a good energy rating. They are rated from A (or A+++ if they’re based on a slightly older scale) to G, with A/A+++ being the most efficient and G being the least. Sellers are sometimes happy to include white goods in the sale, so be sure to check the energy labels of anything they’re willing to leave behind. Not only will better ratings lower your carbon consumption but you’ll save on running costs too.

Lighting 

When looking around potential properties and thinking about how you can make them more sustainable, don’t forget to consider things such as lighting. Lighting makes up around 15% of the average UK household’s electricity consumption, so changing the bulbs will pay dividends. LED (Light Emitting Diode) bulbs produce the most light using the least amount of electricity. They also last much longer than traditional bulbs, resulting in less waste heading to landfill.

If you’re on the search for a new home, speak to one of White & Brooks’s expert agents. They can supply you a list of properties for sale in West Sussex with the best EPC ratings.